Page 21 of While He Breathes

“I’m done waiting. She’s had three months of space. That’s more than enough.”

Killian rolls his eyes. “Fine, but I don’t want to hear about it when this blows up in your face.”

I don’t bother responding. Instead, I climb out of the car and head through the front foyer of the most expensive hotel in the city.

No one gives me a second look as I stroll toward the elevators and use the keycard Killian hesitantly acquired for me. The card will only get me as far as her floor because apparently, my best friend has boundaries.

I chuckle to myself as the elevator climbs to the sixteenth floor. He has no idea what awaits him when he finds his Ember. How hard he’ll fall. How many lines he’ll cross to make her his. I can’t fucking wait to watch, and you better believe I’ll be gloating.

The doors slide open, and I step out into the hallway, only to come face-to-face with Max’s smug face.

He was right about one thing. As much as I may want to kill him for keeping me away from Ember the last few months, I won’t touch a hair on his head. I can’t risk her hating me any more than she already does, and unfortunately, I think he actually has her best interests at heart, unlike her asshole brother.

“You’re later than I expected.” He smirks, his back leaning against the door that separates me from my woman.

“I was getting a team of security in place,” I tell him.

This is the first time I’m seeing him without his mask on, just as it’s his without mine, and we take a moment to survey one another.

“I travel with a team,” he replies. “They’re stationed at each of the exits.”

“Well, now there are two.”

He chuckles and shakes his head.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

“I knew you’d show.”

“And you thought you alone would be able to keep me from her?”

“On the contrary, actually.” He contemplates me for a moment before sighing. “When I met Ember, she was so broken. I’d heard of her talents on the grapevine and that she was in town, and so I hired her to do a job for me. But the first time we met, and that she met my husband, I knew she was going to be more to us than just a thief doing a job.”

I growl, and it earns me another chuckle.

“Not like that, tiger. Although it did feel rather reminiscent of the idea of finding a soulmate. The way you just know the other person is going to come to mean the world to you. Ember is our best friend, and there’s nothing Darius and I won’t do to keep her safe.” He catches me with a pointed glare.

“I’d never hurt her,” I force through gritted teeth. My hands flex into fists at my sides as I force myself to remain in place.

Don’t kill her best friend.

Don’t kill her best friend.

Don’t kill her best friend.

I repeat the words to myself over and over as if it’s doing anything to stop me from executing his asshole where he stands.

“But you already did.” He quirks a brow at me. “You lied to her. Manipulated her. And you broke her heart. That’s a lot to come back from.”

I want to be angry at him for calling me out, but he’s right. I did all of those things knowing about the potential fallout, and I have no one to blame but myself. I’ve spent many a night over the last three months with a bottle of whiskey and my own self-depreciating thoughts. I know what I did broke her.

The problem is, I don’t care. I’m a criminal. A killer. I’m used to doing what needs to be done to get what I want, and if I had my time again, I’m not sure I would change anything other than how Ember found out I’m the Hunter. Not that it would havechanged her reaction, but at least I could have controlled the fallout.

Max holds my gaze, his face passive and unbothered despite facing down one of the deadliest men in the country.

“You love her.” It’s not a question, and because of that, I don’t bother responding. He knows it’s the truth and likely knows there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her. “And lucky for you, she loves you. She’s trying to tell herself she doesn’t, but it’s not as easy to fall out of love as it is to fall into it.”

He steps forward, dips a hand into his pocket, and produces a keycard before holding it out to me.